Glavine 'Had A Blast' With Mets; 'Every Player Should Play In New York'
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Tom Glavine was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday afternoon.
The 10-time All-Star, who appeared on 91.9 percent of the baseball writers' ballots, was one of the premier pitchers in baseball during his tenure in Atlanta. The lefty played for the Braves from 1987-2002 (and again in 2008).
But in between his two stops in Georgia, the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner pitched in Queens for five seasons.
Tom Glavine
He wasn't the pitcher in New York that he was in Atlanta, but he did have a sub-4.00 ERA in three of his five seasons with the Mets. He only posted winning records twice, but that can partially be attributed to the lack of run support he received.
When Mets fans think of the Hall of Famer's Mets career, however, they inevitably think of his dreadful performance against the Florida Marlins on the final day of the 2007 season which ended New York's playoff hopes.
But despite the ups and downs -- and that haunting final memory in '07 -- Glavine maintains that his years with the Mets were great ones.
"100 percent positive," Glavine told WFAN co-hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on Friday when asked to analyze his time with the Mets. "I had a blast playing here. I know, obviously, things ended the way they ended. And I think that, for some people, that tainted my five years here in New York. And people judged me based on that one game, but for me it was more than that.
"It was a tremendous opportunity to come here when I did. The Mets were in the midst of trying to rebuild their team, rebuild their brand and get things going in the right direction. And ultimately we did, with that playoff appearance. I feel like I played a part in them turning things around, or at least trying to turn their culture around."
Glavine also believes that it was important for him, both personally and professionally, to get a taste of what it's like to play on the biggest stage in the world.
"As far as the whole experience of playing here, I've said it and I believe it -- I think every player should play in New York for a year," Glavine told Joe & Evan. "There's nothing like playing in this town. It's tough when it doesn't go well; there's not many, if any, places better when it is going well. But overall it's a fun place to play. I'm glad I did it."
In his five seasons with the Mets, the 1995 World Series MVP went 61-56 with a 3.98 ERA over 164 starts.
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